Our Support Cases
for Students with
Various Needs and Challenges
Here we introduce how we’ve provided support to students facing various needs and challenges.
A junior high international school student with a learning disability who struggled to memorize the multiplication table
I had tutored a female Grade 6 student from an IB School with learning disabilities, dyslexia and ADHD through to Grade 9. The challenges she faced included:
- Failure to retain memorization of the multiplication table and formulas
- Skipping letters or lines when reading sentences
- Frequently zoning out, so even when spoken to she would not absorb the content
At first she utterly hated math, and her pride prevented her from listening patiently to my explanations. However, once we built a relationship of trust, our class sessions became always full of laughter with jokes. Even in mathematics (which she had hated), she came to feel “I want to be able to do more!” and started actively asking questions when she didn’t understand. As a result, in Grade 9 her math grade rose for the first time to 3 out of 8.
The background to this was her relentless effort during summer vacation of Grade 8. To solidify the math foundation, she completed Grades 2–6 math workbooks straight through. Because her foundation was solid, in Grade 9 she was able to understand my explanations more smoothly than before.
A junior high international school student who had difficulty understanding teacher’s instructions or reading comprehension
I am tutoring a male Grade 7 student at an international school on the borderline of ASD. The challenges he faces include:
- Unable to comprehend or misunderstand teacher’s instructions at school
- Difficulty memorizing formulas and terminologies
- Becoming distracted by irrelevant things
For the formulas and terminology we start each class with a review, and through repeated study of the same unit he is slowly beginning to memorize them.
Also, as shown in the photographs, there were times when, due to his developmental characteristics, he misunderstood that the answer for question 4 should be written in the answer box labelled “4,” and instead wrote it in boxes labelled “1–3.”
Therefore, during lessons I strive to use explanations and instructions that minimize misunderstanding, for example: “For question 4’s answer, please write it in the box on the right labelled ‘4’.”
His capabilities have gradually increased, and he now studies in a bright, enjoyable way.
An elementary international school student who decided to transfer to a public elementary school
I am tutoring a female student who attended an international school from kindergarten through Grade 2.
During the trial lesson her mother told me:
- “At her current international school the math lessons are difficult to understand and she’s getting confused”
- “She is tired of the English-language environment and is frequently absent from school”
- “We’re undecided whether to send her to a public elementary school from Grade 3”
- “If she does transfer to a public elementary school I’d like you to support the maintenance of her English ability she has built up”
From my experience teaching at an international school and my experience tutoring students who attend a Japanese regular primary school, I explained the pros and cons of both options. I also told her mother that I myself attended a regular school until junior high, could not speak any English at all, but afterwards attended an international school from high school and was able to go straight to a US university — so, returning to an international school from high school is not at all too late.
Ultimately the mother decided to send her to a public elementary school. In my lessons we use a textbook titled “Wonders” (which she had used in an international school) and study reading comprehension, vocabulary quizzes, speaking, grammar etc.
An international high school student with ADHD who lacked self-confidence
I am tutoring a male Grade 10 student at an international school who has been diagnosed with ADHD and is taking Concerta. The mental-emotional challenges he faced included:
- “I’m stupid because I have ADHD” — he used that as a reason not to try
- “Effort is an illusion. Everyone else was smart from the start. So even if I try I won’t get results. So trying is pointless.”
- Low self-esteem and fear of failure. He was afraid to put in effort and fail
His mother asked me: “My words don’t reach him but your words do—so please teach him strictly.” One day in a calm tone I said to him:
“I’m worried about your habit of making excuses.”
“That habit is hindering your growth.”
“Instead of saying ‘Maybe I’ll try,’ I want you to say ‘I will do my best.’”
As a result, about three weeks later the mother gave me a very positive report:
“Since you talked to my son, his attitude toward studying has changed. Previously he gave up so easily, but now he says ‘I will try as much as I can’ and is facing forward. We are seeing growth in our son. Thank you so much!”
A junior high student transferring who was required to learn the Grade 8 math curriculum in just 3 months
I tutored a female Grade 7 student at an international school who was about to transfer to another international school.
Because her current school operates on an April start and she was in Grade 7, and the transfer school starts in September meaning she would be in Grade 9, she was in a situation where she needed to learn the Grade 8 math in just 3 months — her parents consulted me about this.
Her friend at the transfer school sent her photos of the textbook and I used that to produce a teaching schedule and homework list.
Since she was originally a student good at maths, I covered what she already understood lightly and moved ahead quickly. Also, because she was good at self-management, she completed homework exactly according to schedule.
As a result, she was able to cover the Grade 8 math in one and a half months.
Currently I don’t provide regular tutoring; instead I provide targeted support before final exams and other key times.
A junior high international school student who had come to dislike math
I am tutoring a female Grade 9 student at an international school whose concentration is hard to sustain.
The challenges she faced included:
- Her school’s math classes hardly use textbooks, so she couldn’t build up her knowledge and was confused
- Her math grades were declining, she lost confidence in math and came to dislike it
When I started tutoring her, there were many basics she didn’t understand, she was not very enthusiastic about classes and had a slightly gloomy mood. I supported her by using worksheets created for her and by explaining in detail until she was satisfied. Then previously tricky items like factoring and exponent rules became solvable smoothly. As the number of things she could do increased, she started joining class cheerfully and told me, “I wish Mr. Ito were my school math teacher.”
An elementary student aiming to pass the IP Course entrance exam at Ritsumeikan Uji Junior High School
I tutored a male student in Grade 6 who was aiming for the IP Course admission at Ritsumeikan Uji Junior High School.
He was originally able to speak English at native level, so for the exam preparation he aimed to:
- Obtain a TOEIC score above 800
- Pass the Proficiency Test for Practical Mathematics (Sansu Kentei) for Grade 6
- Write a self-PR in English
I supported the above, and he achieved admission to his desired school.
Currently, since he struggles with math, I continue to support him in MYP Math.
An international-school high school student who lacked initiative
I have been tutoring a male Grade 12 student in IB DP course at Ritsumeikan Uji High School since he was Grade 9.
Since he struggles with math, I am supporting him in Math AA.
Previously he had challenges such as:
- Not knowing how to study properly
- Not asking questions proactively
- Lacking initiative
Therefore, I provided mentoring on the mental/attitudinal side.
From around Grade 11 he began to show growth, such as managing his own affairs and asking questions actively when he doesn’t understand.
Although he hasn’t fully become good at math, he feels that what he understands has increased.
A junior high international school student who found it difficult to express her own opinions
I am tutoring a female Grade 9 student at an international school who hesitates to express her own opinions.
The challenges she faces include:
- She finds it hard to express her own opinions and tends to be passive
- Her math foundation is not solid and she tends to forget formulas
Regarding the difficulty of expressing her opinions, I tell her, “Whatever you say or hear, I won’t criticize—so please feel free to speak up.” Also, when I notice a look on her face that suggests she wants to say something, I ask proactively or wait patiently. During lessons she seems more relaxed and the number of times she speaks up has increased.
Because her mother also wishes for her to become independent, cancellations or rescheduling of lessons are now handled by the student. Regarding the lesson content, when she began classes, she often said, “Today I’d like to work on such and such (no materials),” so I told her, “If you say it so suddenly it takes time to accommodate, so please tell me by the day before what you’d like to work on.” Little by little she is now able to notify me before the class.